


low pressure system.

by tousled



Category: DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dragons: Race to the Edge, F/M, Gen, Post Edge of Destruction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2019-09-19
Packaged: 2020-10-24 08:02:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20702612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tousled/pseuds/tousled
Summary: It is a completely different day to the start of the siege of the edge. A one hundred percent different, brand new day, except that Hiccup, Fishlegs and Snotlout fly off to investigate some dragon disturbance in the south forest, and Stormfly’s dragon armour is sitting on Hiccup’s workshop bench waiting to be fixed and there’s something in theair.





	low pressure system.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dendraica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dendraica/gifts).

> from dendraica/maedarakat's prompt: Love your fics so much and it is indeed loving tuffstrid hours! Could you please write a fic or drabble where one of them is having bad dreams about the siege on the Edge and the other gives comfort?
> 
> but i kinda didn't do the dream thing. my piping hot take is astrid has ptsd. and that rtte makes the gang go through really intense shit and then brushes it over? astrid and tuff thought they were gonna die defending the edge and hiccup is just like "lol so it turns out the dragon hunters sending dragons to attack trader johann was a diversion. funny how we feel for that huh?" PLEASE pLEASE. how can i take you seriously if all of these really horrifying events don't even affect the gang? i have THOUGHTS. 
> 
> it's really mild tuffstrid, so if it's not your thing this fic is still good.

It is a completely different day to the start of the siege of the edge. A one hundred percent different, brand new day, except that Hiccup, Fishlegs and Snotlout fly off to investigate some dragon disturbance in the south forest, and Stormfly’s dragon armour is sitting on Hiccup’s workshop bench waiting to be fixed and there’s something in the  _ air _ . 

(“Currently, a low pressure system has hit The Edge,” Ruffnut had said/yelled/shouted that morning. The twins’ radio station had taken on a specifically weather based twist after their Uncle Bucket had given the lowdown on how to predict the weather via cooking implements. It’s a slightly more useful wake up call. 

“You’re likely to experience dizziness, possible onset of migraines and joint pain.” Tuff had added, cheerful and sunny. Astrid could imagine the smile without any prompting, a million fireworms squirming. 

“I’ll give you a migraine in a minute!” Snotlout had yelled loud enough Astrid could hear him all the way in her hut.) 

They’re back by two in the afternoon, but Astrid is twitchy and stressed enough she’s already started a petty argument with Ruff. It’s interrupted, thankfully, but then made  _ immediately _ worse and looking at Hiccup’s outstretched hands like he’s soothing a dragon, all the fight drains out of her. She can see the bias in the curve of Hiccup’s shoulders, and the upturn of his mouth like he can’t hide the smile and she  _ knows _ Ruff has picked up on it all too. 

“Oh, the reinforcements have arrived,” Ruff spits, crossing her arms and it’s absolutely  _ scathing _ . Astrid doesn’t even want to fight anymore, didn’t even want to begin it really. “Here to take Astrid’s side?”

“I don’t take sides Ruff,” Hiccup says, a bald faced lie, if only Hiccup didn’t wholeheartedly believe it. Astrid’s stomach rolls as she watches Ruff’s face shut down, posture tight. 

“Of course not.” Ruff says and turns on her heel and Astrid wants to scream, wants to yell,  _ don’t leave, don’t go, it’s not safe. _

“He’s just a muttonhead, Ruff.” Astrid says, reaching out but her hand misses Ruff’s arm by a mile and she looks over at Tuff’s pale face. 

“Hey!” Hiccup squawks, but it goes mostly ignored because all Astrid can think is if Ruff leaves something bad will happen, something horrible, terrible, awful. If Ruff leaves she’ll get kidnapped, and be hurt, and might get  _ killed _ . 

Tuff takes off after her, skipping alongside her in a way that even to Astrid is obvious in its discomfort. It does not settle the furious drum beat of her heart, but now it feels like Astrid can take a breath. 

“What in the seven realms is going on?” Snotlout asks. Astrid would reply, except her mouth feels dry. She wants to explain, but she’s not even sure if she could if she wasn’t choking up. 

“Do you and the twins fight every time we leave you alone?” Fishlegs asks, even and confused, and it makes another emotion rocket forward to pound at the front of Astrid’s skull. 

“Don’t _ you _ ?” Astrid snaps, tight, defensive. She needs to breathe, to go somewhere where no one else is stealing the air. “I’ll be on guard duty.” 

No one follows. 

Astrid is glad, and mad, and feels too highly strung to even whisper kind words to Stormfly so she strokes her appreciation instead. Happily, with no questions or queries or inquisitive expressions Stormfly curls up next to her in the guard tower and preens under the touch. If the feeling of sunwarmed scales wasn’t under her hands, Astrid would feel completely out of touch with the time, with the day, with the noise of wild dragons in the distance. 

They sit for an hour, for two. Stormfly gets up and brings back fish and Astrid knows she should too but her eyes are stuck to the horizon. There’s nothing, the ocean clear but if she looks away for a second, maybe, possibly that might change. She cannot take that risk, she  _ has  _ to stay vigilant. They sit for three. 

Eight minutes into hour four, Tuff’s head pops up over the edge of the guard tower. He looks  _ exhausted _ and getting an arm hold over the edge he drags himself up and then flops over the tiny piece of floor in front of Astrid. She grabs him, hauling him up and close, Stormfly squawking in surprise. Stormfly lowers her head, nuzzling at Tuff’s chest and whatever stupid thing he was going to say just deflates right out of him, petting at Stormfly’s chin. 

“Everyone’s okay?” Astrid asks, heart pounding against her rib cage and she thinks,  _ stupid, stupid, stupid. It was Ruff I had to protect the whole time, not the island.  _

“What?” Tuff stares. He looks up and Astrid can feel the moment he understands. She has to look away, too exposed under his gaze. “Everyone is  _ fine _ , A.” 

“Good.” She says. Anything else just sits in hollow of her throat. Tuff takes that moment to squirm around, elbow in Astrid’s thigh as he sits up. It hurts, and she swats at him, digging her own elbow in when he does it again to make her curse and laugh. 

They settle down eventually, squished close because of the space and Stormfly complained every time she couldn’t stretch over the both of them for scratches. Astrid strokes the top of her head, the sun warmed scales grounding once again. Some stray strands of Tuff’s hair is practically up her nose, but she doesn’t complain about the constant reminder that everyone is fine. 

“They’re not coming,” Tuff says, after several long moments, looking out towards the ocean too. “No one’s attacking, we’re safe.” 

“Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?” Astrid asks. She means to sound joking, but it comes out weak, a break in the sentence, a sob in her throat. 

“We’re safe.” Tuff replies. “We’re all  _ safe  _ Astrid.”

Astrid doesn’t cry, but Tuff yelps when she buries her face into his shoulder. For one moment he stops, frozen, and Astrid can feel the confusion and tension in his muscles like she can feel the sob bubbling up her throat. A moment later, he relaxes, arm coming up around her shoulder. He drops his face to the top of her head, and it’s only his shuddering breath that drops all the tension out of Astrid’s frame. He is  _ just _ as scared, and as worried as she is. They’re both a bunch of wrecks who can’t handle the gang leaving and Ruffnut on her own, and days that feel like the siege. 

Astrid wants to say something, promise something comforting too, but she doesn’t have any words and Tuff shakes as he settles his other arm around her and she thinks that’s comfort enough. Ruff would have undoubtedly brushed off Tuff attempts at coddling, him listening dutifully at whatever complaints she had about Astrid. She grabs at his tunic and pushes her face closer and, for now, politely ignores the kiss he drops to the top of her head. 

He’s right, they  _ are  _ safe. 

They  _ are _ . 


End file.
